Improved edible fat composition

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for producing a bloom-retarding component for chocolate and chocolate-like products, said method comprising the steps of: —providing a triglyceride composition (TGC) comprising 40 to 95 wt % monounsaturated symmetrical triglycerides (TGs) selected from POP, StOSt, and POSt; —heat treating the TGC in a closed vessel for at least 1 hour and at a temperature of at least 220° C. to form a heat-treated triglyceride composition (HT TGC); and —deodorizing the HT TGC from the heating step to form a deodorized heat-treated triglyceride composition (DZ/HT TGC), wherein P is palmitic acid, St is stearic acid, and O is oleic acid. Further, the invention relates to products obtained by such a method, and their uses in chocolate products.

1 - 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A method for producing a bloom-retarding component for chocolate and chocolate-like products, said method comprising the steps of:
 providing a triglyceride composition (TGC) comprising 40 to 95 wt % monounsaturated symmetrical triglycerides (TGs) selected from POP, StOSt, and POSt;   heat treating the TGC in a sealed vessel for at least 1 hour and at a temperature of at least 220° C. to form a heat-treated triglyceride composition (HT TGC); and   deodorizing the HT TGC from the heating step to form a deodorized heat-treated triglyceride composition (DZ/HT TGC);   
       wherein P is palmitic acid, St is stearic acid and O is oleic acid. 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the TGC, prior to the heat treatment step, is stripped with an inert gas, or a saturated water steam, at a temperature of no more than 220° C. and for a minimum of 5 minutes. 
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the TGC comprises 55 to 85 wt % TGs selected from POP, StOSt, and POSt. 
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the heat treatment step is undertaken for 1 to 8 hours and/or at a temperature of 220 to 260° C. 
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 32 , wherein the heat treatment step is undertaken for 4 to 6 hours and/or at a temperature of 245 to 260° C. 
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the sealed vessel is under vacuum up to a maximum of 2 mbar. 
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the sealed vessel is operated under an inert atmosphere. 
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein said HT TGC is deodorized for 10 minutes to 10 hours, at a temperature of 160° C. to 240° C., and at a pressure of 0 to 20 mbar. 
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 36 , wherein said HT TGC is deodorized for 20 to 150 minutes, at a temperature of 200 to 220° C., and at a pressure of 0 to 10 mbar. 
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the HT TGC is subsequently deodorized without any further processing of the HT TGC before deodorization. 
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the HT TGC is further processed prior to deodorization. 
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 29 , further comprising the step of blending the DZ/HT TGC with a fat composition for chocolate or chocolate-like products (FCCH) in an amount of 0.1% to 97% by weight of the fat composition. 
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 40 , wherein the FCCH comprises cocoa butter and/or a cocoa butter equivalent. 
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 41 , wherein the blended CZ/HT TGC and FCCH has a SSO/SSS ratio of 0.4 to 1.7. 
     
     
         43 . The method according to  40 , wherein the FCCH is cocoa butter, and the DZ/HT TGC is blended with the cocoa butter in an amount of 5 to 97% by weight of the cocoa butter. 
     
     
         44 . The method according to  29 , wherein the TGC is selected from the group consisting of cocoa butter, shea oil ( Butyrospermum parkii ), palm oil ( Elaeis guineensis, Elaeis olifera ), illipe oil (5 ′horea  spp.), mango oil ( Mangifera indica ), sal oil ( Shorea robusta ), kokum oil ( Garcinia indica ), any fraction thereof and/or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         45 . The method according to  claim 44 , wherein the TGC is cocoa butter. 
     
     
         46 . The method according to  claim 29 , further comprising adding milk fat to the TGC prior to the heat treatment step. 
     
     
         47 . A DZ/HT TGC, or blend thereof, produced in accordance with  claim 29 . 
     
     
         48 . A method of manufacturing a chocolate or chocolate-like product comprising the step of adding a DZ/HT TGC, or blend thereof, according to  claim 47  as the only vegetable fat. 
     
     
         49 . A chocolate or chocolate-like product comprising a DZ/HT TGC, or blend thereof, according to  claim 47 . 
     
     
         50 . A chocolate or chocolate-like product according to  claim 49 , having a SSO/SSS ratio of 0.4 to 1.7. 
     
     
         51 . A chocolate or chocolate-like product according to  claim 49 , comprising at least 2% of a DZ/HT TGC. 
     
     
         52 . A chocolate comprising cocoa butter as the only vegetable fat component and wherein at least 2% by weight of the cocoa butter has been processed in accordance with  claim 29 . 
     
     
         53 . A chocolate according to  claim 29 , comprising cocoa butter as the only vegetable fat component, and comprising 1.1 to 2.5 wt % SSO triglyceride and 1.5 to 2.6 wt % trisaturated triglyceride (S3) by weight of vegetable fats. 
     
     
         54 . A chocolate according to  claim 53 , comprising 1.4 to 1.8 wt % SSO triglyceride by weight of vegetable fats. 
     
     
         55 . A chocolate according to  claim 53 , comprising 1.1 to 2.2 wt % SSO triglyceride and 1.5 to 2.5 wt % S3 by weight of vegetable fats. 
     
     
         56 . The DZ/HT TGC according to  claim 47 , wherein the DZ/HT TGC is used as a bloom-retarding component for chocolate and chocolate-like products.